Nosas Historias

Nosas historias inclúen desgusto, frustración, medo, tristeza, alivio, felicidade, triunfo, e, por riba de todo, amar. Moitos de nós se esforzou obter un diagnóstico para os nosos cans, aínda que sabiamos nos nosos corazóns que algo estaba mal. Mesmo con máis frecuencia, temos loitado con prescricións que foron dosados terrible mal para os nosos fillos. Mediante ensaios e tribulacións, que cada un dos recursos atopados en ambas as nosas comunidades locais e en liña e, finalmente, descubriu os tratamentos máis eficaces para os nosos mellores amigos. Abaixo, atoparás unha colección das nosas historias, cada un deles diferentes e cada un deles similar. Por favor, aproveitar a nosa colección e se desexa engadir a súa historia, por favor, use o formulario de contacto para que poidamos saber.

Click on the + sign to read each story.

Ghosty Rider, Bull Terrier, Adelaide, South Australia, Diagnosed June of 2018

Hi there, A-peeps. For Addison’s Awareness Week, I thought we would share a little bit about our Addison’s journey.

It all started sometime in June 2018. Ghost wouldn’t eat, and for a Bully not to eat, something is definitely up. At first, it was thought he had a bad back. Five days on and he still hadn’t eaten anything, so it was time for a blood test. The blood test was going to take about 20 actas, so whilst we waited, we took Ghost for a walk down the street. When we got back into the vet’s, he pretty well took the lead out of my hand and said Ghost’s kidneys weren’t working. My world stopped there and then. I don’t have any 2-legged children, my 4-legged furry children have always been the centre of my world, so as you can imagine, this was devastating. Anyway, I will try and keep this as short as I can. I left him at the vets, got a phone call within the hour, and was told that it was likely he had Addison’s disease. I’m like WTF is Addison’s disease!!! Ghost’s breeder’s parents bred Bullies before her and she hadn’t heard of it, so this must be bad. So as is the way these days, straight onto Google. There was so much information to try and make sense of, it was pretty tough. Eventually, we were put onto the CARE Facebook group and as far as Addison’s goes, it was the best thing ever. We started on tablets, had another crisis, and eventually changed to the monthly injection and haven’t looked back. While I am still very vigilant about Ghost’s health, I am so much more comfortable with how Addison’s can be controlled with the right medication. I read everything I could get my hands on trying to understand how to make the most of my boy having this disease. CARE’s document page is THE place for all this information. Then, if I had any queries or questions, I would post it to the group, and what can I say about my Addison’s family, well words can’t describe how wonderful they all have been. This journey would have been so much harder and I am 100% sure we wouldn’t be where we are today if it hadn’t been for them and the low dose protocol. Así, the low dose protocol, well that’s a learning experience in itself but once you get your head around it, it is without a doubt the way to go in my opinion. Ghost started, according to his weight on 1.3 ml of Zycortal and is now on 0.45 ml. My vet has been awesome with coming to terms with this, and he says, “I know the manufacturer says that he should be on a higher dose, but I can see in his behavior and in his blood test that the results don’t lie.” If I had any advice for anyone new dealing with Addison’s, I would say go to this group with any questions you have, learn how to read the blood test results, and adjust the medication accordingly (if I can do it anyone can) and you’re A-dog will be back to normal in no time.

Speaking of back to normal, just before Ghost was diagnosed, he had just started to ride on the back of my Canam 3 wheeled motorcycle. Obviously, this stopped for a while during the first part of his diagnosis, but now there’s no stopping him. If it wasn’t for his medical tag and if you didn’t tell anyone, they would never know he has a disease. As well as our normal frequent rides, we have been on the Pink Ribbon ride, the Bikers against Bullies ride, and the latest was the fundraising ride for the Country Fire Service. As always, Ghost is a massive hit with everyone, takes everything in his stride, and laps up all the attention he gets. Late last year, we were also accredited with Therapy Dog Services as a Community Visiting Dog Team. At this stage, we have had half a dozen visits to a nursing home, but this year promises to be awesome and we can’t wait! We are anticipating on being used for some special visits, special events and appearances to places like Ronald McDonald house, The Cancer Council lodge, universities around exam times, the Youth Courts, and wherever else we can put smiles on faces. It’s a huge win for everyone involved from Ghost himself, the people who we come across, the Addison’s community, and the Bull Terrier breed (which is quite often and unnecessarily very misunderstood).

Ghost is very much a part of our family and participates in most things we get up to. We go up the river, which he absolutely loves, and he even gets invited to Christmas lunch with the rest of our extended family. He is such a sweet gentleman.

So on finishing up, I suppose my message is this, if you have a dog that’s been diagnosed with Addison’s, you will shit yourself at first, I know I did, but take a deep breath and with the right frame of mind, taking note of all the information available, trusting this wonderful group, asking loads and loads of questions, you WILL get through this and you and your dog can do anything and be anything that you want to be. Look at Ghost, a goggle wearing, community visiting Bull Terrier who rides on the back of a motorbike and puts smiles on the faces of everyone he meets. I reckon that’s a pretty good thing. A-dogs rock!!!

Anyways I hope this has put a bit of a smile on YOUR face and don’t worry, there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel.

Lots of love and big Bully hugs to you all.
Jarrod and Ghost

Piña, Search and Rescue Dog, Puembo, Pichincha, Ecuador, Diagnosed August of 2017

! Scroll down and you will also find her story auf Deutsch and en Español!

En febreiro 2016, I lived in Cholula, México, with my three Shepherds (German and Belgian, all rescued) when a friend called me that she had found a small puppy in a closed garbage bag, close to suffocation. Así, I went, picked the tiny bundle up, and presented her to my vet.
Four weeks old, something about one kilo. We immediately found a family willing to adopt her, so she just would stay some days until this family would go for her.

Yes…just that it never happened.

She adapted quickly to the life in between the large Shepherds and grew rapidly. My students named her ‘Piña’ and she won the hearts of everyone, but nobody adopted her. She was a really brave, fearless, and intelligent puppy, so I started her training. She was brilliant in obedience, and as small as she was compared to the Shepherds, she was brave and ‘strong’ in protection work as well. Despois 6 months with me, I declared her mine officially and we started her search and rescue training, as we had noticed her very capable of nose work.

She was the only cross-breed in the training but after some negative experiences, we finally found a trainer from the Red Cross who saw her potential. She grew stronger and demanded her a lot of skills. She learned quickly and we saw impressive results. After a heavy training session, at night I noticed that she was leaking urine and she appeared more tired than usual, so the next day I went to my vet to check her for an infection. Negative. We gave her some days of rest and she was back to normal. A week later, she got back to training and the same happened: tired, leaking urine. There, my vet noticed her heart rate was very low, so she asked me to go to a large clinic for a heart check. They did an echo of her heart, abdomen, blood work, the complete program.

When I went back to pick her up, the cardiologist said that her heart was heavily ‘overworked’, as well as her kidneys, so this would be the reason of her leaking urine and fatigue. She told me she was suspecting Addison’s, as her electrolytes were a little bit off, but not as strong as it could be. Piña had a shot of Dexamethasone two weeks ago because she got stung by some bees, so the definitive test for Addison’s we couldn’t do until four weeks later. But she was very sick and we decided we would try to stabilize her with IV fluids as long as possible to do the test.

After some days with the fluids, her situation got worse and all the vets at the clinic, together with my vet, decided to start treatment for Addison’s as Piña was weaker each day. When we started with the Prednisone and the Fludrocortisone (Astonin), she was herself few days later, with all the side-effects of the Prednisone, but active, strong heart rate, and her happy self.
Over the weeks, we reduced the Prednisone and she went back to the search and rescue training, happy happy happy. She was one and a half year old at that time. She got stable, I got used to managing her medicine, and finally, we had our first search and rescue events, where she gained attention because of her incredible happy nature and strong will to work.

We specialized in high mountain rescue and collapsed houses, where her weight (18 kilos) is a huge advantage compared to Shepherds or Labradors and their usual weight. Así, Piña and I learned rope work as well.

Last summer we moved from Mexico to Ecuador, where we kept training, but suddenly (and unexpectedly), I got the permission to work with my dogs at my college, with the students. Piña is a search and rescue dog, but not a therapy dog as two of my older ones, so she was just like a backup. But, due to a heat wave, one of the therapy dogs could not go to classes with me sometimes and we took Piña…and she adapted quickly. Agora, some months later, she is adored by the students and a huge part of the college and a favourite on school excursions and events.

In the 2 years since her diagnosis we had to adjust her medication just twice, I always carry around Prednisone everywhere I go but besides of that she is a normal search and rescue and soon-to-be-therapy dog. In our free time we go hiking in the mountains, go swimming in the river, or just go around by bike. She does absolutely everything a non-Addison’s dog would do, just with an excess of energy.

My Ecuadorian vets use her as an example for their vet students as they have never seen an Addison’s dog before.

Deutsche Übersetzung

Im Februar 2016 lebte ich in Cholula, Mexiko, mit meinen 3 adoptierten Schäferhunden (deutsch und belgisch), als eine Freundin mich anrief, dass sie einen winzigen Welpen in einer geschlossenen Mülltüte am Straßenrand gefunden hatte, kurz vor dem Ersticken. Ich fuhr hin, holte das kleine Bündel ab und stellte sie meiner Tierärztin vor. 4 Wochen alt, ungefähr ein Kilo. Wir fanden ziemlich sofort eine Familie, die sie adoptieren wollte, sich aber noch ein paar Tage organisieren musste bevor sie sie abholen. Nunja, das ist leider nie passiert.
Sie gewöhnte sich rasend schnell an das Leben mit den großen Schäferhunden und wuchs fröhlich vor sich hin. Meine Schüler gaben ihr den Namen PIÑA (also Ananas), weil wir da gerade die Früchte durchnahmen. Sie gewann alle Leute für sich, aber niemand adoptierte sie.

Sie war ein sehr mutiger, starker und extrem intelligenter Welpe/Junghund, also begann ich, sie zu trainieren. Sie war großartig in Gehorsam/Unterordnung und —obwohl so klein im Vergleich zu den Schäferhunden— war sie auch sehr mutig und forsch im Schutzdienst.

Nach 6 Monaten bei mir wurde sie ganz hochoffiziell ‘meine‘ und schließlich begannen wir auch ihr Rettungshundetraining, da wir ihren hervorragenden Naseneinsatz bemerkt hatten. NATÜRLICH war sie der einzige Mix beim Training, und wir gerieten leider auch an einen Trainer, der sie für nicht fähig hielt, das können nur bestimmte Rassehunde. Schließlich fanden wir ‘unseren‘ Trainer, der ihr Potential sah und so ging es sehr schnell aufwärts und sie überraschte uns oft mit ihren Fähigkeiten.

Im August 2017, nach einem sehr intensiven Training, bemerkte ich, dass sie deutlich erschöpft war, ein bisschen undicht und einfach nicht die fröhliche Wildsau wie sonst. Ich ging am nächsten Tag zu meiner Tierärztin mit dem Verdacht auf eine Blasenentzündung, negativ. Sie bekam ein paar Tage Pause und war weitestgehend wieder normal. Beim nächsten Training passierte dasselbe: totale Erschöpfung, Urininkontinenz. Diesmal bemerkte meine TÄin eine extrem niedrige Herzfrequenz und überwies uns an eine Klink zum kardiologischen Check. Dort machten sie einen Herzultraschall, Bauchultraschall, Blutbild, EKG usw., das volle Programm. Als ich sie dort nach der Arbeit abholen wollte, sagte mir die Ärztin, dass Herz und Nieren total überlastet seien, das sei der Grund für die Erschöpfung und die Inkontinenz. Die Ärztin vermutete Addison wegen einer leichten Elektrolytverschiebung, aber auf Grund einer Bienenattacke knapp 2 Wochen vorher konnten wir den ACTH-Test nicht machen, wir müssten 4 Wochen warten…also beschlossen wir, sie soweit mit Infusionen zu stabilisieren um den Test machen zu können. Leider ging es ihr trotz der Infusionen zunehmend schlechter, so dass alle beteiligten Tierärzte beschlossen, dass sie auf Addison behandelt würde. Wir begannen mit Prednisolon und Fludrocortison (Astonin) und nach wenigen Tagen war sie wieder fast die Alte. In den Wochen darauf reduzierten wir das Prednisolon, dadurch verschwanden auch die Nebenwirkungen, aber das Herz war stabil und sie wieder aktiv. Ich gewöhnte mich ans das Medikamentenmanagement und lernte, selber ihr Herz abzuhören und schließlich kehrten wir zum Rettungstraining zurück und hatten bald unsere ersten Einsätze, wo sie immer im positiven Sinne Aufmerksamkeit bekam, weil sie so fröhlich ist aber zeitgleich auch extrem professionell und zuverlässig bei der Arbeit. Wir spezialisierten uns auf Hochgebirgsrettung und Trümmerarbeit, wo ihre kompakte, aber sportliche Statur (18kg) ein großer Vorteil gegenüber größeren und schwereren Hunden wie DSH oder Labradoren darstellt. Also lernten wir gemeinsames Abseilen, Aufstieg in Seilen, Seilbahn fahren und vieles mehr.

Sommer 2019 zogen wir von Mexiko nach Ecuador, wo wir weiterhin trainieren, aber sehr plötzlich bekam ich von meiner Schule die Erlaubnis, mit meinen Hunden an der Schule mit den Kindern und Jugendlichen zu arbeiten. Nun ist die kleine Wildsau ein Rettungshund, aber kein Therapiehund, und so war sie erst nur als Reserve gedacht, falls einer meiner richtigen
Therapiehundesenioren ausfällt. Bei einer extremen Hitzewelle, wo die beiden Senioren nicht arbeiten konnten, kam also ihr großer Tag, und wie vorher bei allem anderen auch, sie lernt rasend schnell. Jetzt, ein paar Monate später, wird sie von den Schülern (und Kollegen und Chefetage und Service- und Sicherheitsleuten der Schule) angebetet und wir werden zu jeglichen Events und Exkursionen eingeladen, führen alle ihre coolen Tricks vor und lassen sie mal einen Schüler suchen…

In den knapp 2 Jahren seit ihrer Diagnose mussten wir ihre Medikation nur 2mal anpassen, einmal fiel sie aus uns unbekannten Gründen in eine Krise und musste einige Tage in der Klinik am Tropf bleiben, aber davon abgesehen ist sie ein normaler Rettungshund und ein baldiger Therapiehund. Das einzige, was ich beachten muss, ist, immer Prednisolon dabei zu haben, weil sowohl Sucheinsätze als auch Arbeitstage an der Schule stressig sind. Im positiven Sinne, aber eben dennoch stressig.

In unserer Freizeit wandern wir im Hochgebirge, gehen schwimmen oder fahren auch mal Fahrrad. Sie macht absolut alles (oder noch mehr), was ein nicht-Addison-Hund machen würde, nur mit einem Überschuss an positiver Energie.
Nebenbei: meine ecuatorianischen Tierärzte benutzen sie als Beispielfall für ihre Vetmedizinstudenten, da die allermeisten nie zuvor einen Addisonpatienten zu Gesicht bekommen haben.

en español

La historia de Piña
En febrero de 2016, vivía en Cholula, México con mis tres pastores (alemánes y belgas, todos rescatados) cuando una amiga me llamó que había encontrado una cachorra en una bolsa de basura cerrada en la banqueta de la calle., a punto de asfixiarse. Entonces fui, recogí la cachorra y le presenté a mi veterinaria. 4 semanas, alrededor de 1000gramos. Inmediatamente encontramos a una familia que le quiso adoptar, solo que necesitaban organizarse antes de llevarla. Pero…nunca pasó y se quedó conmigo más tiempo que esperábamos.

Se adaptó rápido a la vida entre los pastores grandes y creció sanamente. Mis alumnos le llamaron PIÑA porque en ese tiempo estuvimos viendo las frutas. Ella enamoró a todos pero nadie la adoptó. Estaba una cachorra muy valiente, segura e inteligente, así que empezamos a entrenarle. Brillaba en obediencia, trucos y –a pesar de ser chiquita comparada con los pastores– aún se lanzó a guardia y protección. Cuando llevaba 6 meses conmigo le declaramos ‘mía’ oficialmente y también empezamos su entrenamiento de búsqueda y rescate, como le notamos muy apta para trabajo de olfato.

Claro que estaba la única cruza callejera y a principio nos encontramos con un pseudo-entrenador que dijo que no sirviera y blabla, pero por fin encontramos a un entrenador que vio su potencial y pronto vimos resultados impresionantes.

En agosto 2017, después de una sesión fuerte de entrenamiento, ella pareció exhausta, triste y le salió orina cuando durmió. El día siguiente le checamos por infección de las vías urinarias, era negativo. Le dimos algunos días de reposo y pronto estaba como normal. Cuando volvió al entrenamiento pasó lo mismo: cansancio extremo, incontinencia. Esa vez mi veterinaria notó su frecuencia cardíaca muy baja y nos mandó a una clínica para un chequeo cardiológico. Hicieron un eco cardíaco, sonografía de corazón y abdomen, tomaron la presión, análisi de sangre…todo. Cuando fui por ella, la cardióloga me dijo que tanto el corazón como los riñones tienen una sobrecarga y por eso estaba tan cansada. La doctora sospechó Addison por una leve desbalance de los electrolitos y el problema cardíaco. Por un ataque de abejas dos semanas antes Piña había recibido una inyección de cortisona, así que no pudimos hacer el test de estimulación del ACTH. Los doctores dijeron que se tendría que esperar 4 semanas para poder hacer el test, a lo mejor se podría estabilizarle con sueros de cloruro de sodio por algún tiempo y finalmente hacer el test.
Desafortunadamente, aún con los sueros su situación empeoró y después de algunos días todos los veterinarios involucrados decidieron juntos empezar el tratamiento por Addison. Empezamos con Predisona y pastillas de Fludrocortisona (Astonin) y en pocos días estaba fuerte y alegre como antes. Su frecuencia cardíaca se normalizó u poco a poco pudimos bajar la dosis de la Prednisona, con eso desaparecieron los efectos secundarios.

Piña tenía un año y medio cuando le diagnosticaron.

Ella estaba estable, yo me acostumbré a manejar sus medicinas y por fin pudimos volver al entrenamiento. Pronto tuvimos los primeros operativos de búsqueda y rescate y ella ganó los corazones con su carácter amigable y alegre y su profesonalismo en cuanto al trabajo de búsqueda. Nos especializamos en rescate de alta montaña y escombros/estructuras colapsadas donde ella por su estatura compacta y atleta (18kilos) tiene ventajas con los pastores o labradores más pesados. Así, aprendemos hacer rappel, subida en cuerdas, andar en teleféricos y cualquier tipo de vehículo.

En verano de 2019 nos mudamos a Ecuador, donde seguimos entrenando, pero de repente recibimos el permiso de mi colegio, a trabajar con los perros en el colegio. Piña como perra de búsqueda y rescate solo era planeada como reemplazo para mis dos perros de terapia. En una fuerte ola de calor, cuando los dos perros de terapia por su edad no podían trabajar, llegó la hora de Piña y…aprendió rapidísimo. Ahora, meses después, es adorada por todo el colegio (alumnos, colegas, jefes, padres de familia, empleados) por su alegría permanente, por saber hacer tantos trucos y por brindar seguridad a excursiones.

En los dos años de su diagnosis solo dos veces tuvimos que ajustar sus medicamentos, siempre llevo algo de Prednisona conmigo (tanto la búsqueda como el trabajo en el colegio le exigen mucho y tengo que darle más Prednisona en los días de trabajo) pero al lado de eso es una perra de búsqueda y rescate normal y perra de terapia futura.
En nuestro tiempo libre hacemos senderismo, escalamos montañas, andamos en bici o vamos a nadar. Piña hace absolutamente todo (o más) que hace un perro sin Addison, solo con exceso de energía.
Mis veterinarios ecuatorianos le usan para enseñanza de Addison a sus estudiantes de medicina veterinaria como la mayoría nunca ha visto un caso de Addison antes.
Por ganar tantos corazones, mis amigos me regalaron un tatuaje en forma de Piña y la mitad de mi casa tiene decoración en forma de Piña. Su apodo es “la cola inquieta” por ser tan alegre, y cuando la ven, nadie sospecha su enfermedad.

Ozzie, Border Collie / Australian Terrier, Colorado, EUA, Diagnosed June of 2016

This is Ozzie! We adopted him as a 6-month-old rescue. Border Collie/Australian Terrier mix according to the DNA test. His weight is 48 libras. We started noticing changes in him when he was about 3.5 anos (early 2016). The first indication (missed by me as a medical issue at that time) was a drastic change in his coat. His hair grew longer and turned from black to brown. He looked like a little bear!

Then in June, we went camping and I noticed he was peeing a lot. Copious amounts and very dilute. Then also occasional diarrhea.

Still energetic, we continued agility all this time. Then one morning, he didn’t want to eat. That was my indication that something was wrong. He always loved food. I also noticed that he would pant a long time after playing ball. Too long.

To the vet that day in June 2016, just before his 4^th aniversario. They asked me what his symptoms were because he looked like such a happy camper. I told him about the not eating and the panting. I could pick him later that day and was told to give him chicken and rice. They had taken blood and results would be back the day after.

I just went to agility training that next morning, and when I came back the vet had called to bring Ozzie in ASAP. They suspected Addison’s disease. They did the ACTH test and he didn’t stim at all. Diagnosis was in!

He was on fluids for a day, was given Percorten (1.75 ml at regular dose), and Prednisone. I soon learned about low dose; I did learn so much in just a few days. It was worth my time, because I have been able to lower his Pred to only 0.25 mg per day and we went with low dose of Percorten (0.6 ml) for his second shot. Levou 3 months for his K level to go up to 4.9! Then after several months of electrolyte tests, we have him now on 0.25 ml of Percorten every 28 días. That is lower than many other dogs, but he does really well on this.

Then the best part: after three months of healing, I went back to Agility, Treibball, started Nosework, and started Trick training. I had my sweet boy back. Like nothing happened. He still runs Agility at the highest levels, received his Excellent Treibball title plus his Trick Dog Champion and Stunt Dog Professional title in 2018. He is close to getting his Masters Jumpers and Standard titles in AKC agility and I hope to attend the Nadac Championships in September this year. He earned his Nosework 2 title a few months ago. Going for level 3 this year!

I am so proud of this boy; he really loves life and he keeps me busy! Here is a link to one of his Treibball runs he so loves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTC1jBJR_jM

Stirling, Border Collie, Arizona, EUA, Diagnosticado 2012

Stirling is my sweet, amazing Border Collie. His fancy AKC registered name is Premiere’s Stirling Status, UD, P-UTD, FDC. From the start, I believed he was supposed to be my dog. I have been training and showing dogs in competition obedience for nearly 20 years and I was ready for my first Border Collie. I drove out to California to pick up my black and white ball of fluff. The puppies were running about like little chickens, this way and that. Since they were interested in running about the room, the puppies were not paying much attention to the new stranger (me). Then the puppy pack ran past me and one scooted to a stop and attempted to jump right on me; he was enthralled with me. He was adorable and I loved him at very first sight, but this puppy was already promised to another home. I was a bit disheartened but trusted our breeder and her matching of the dogs. She picked up this other adorable puppy and placed him in my lap; this was the puppy picked for me. He was cute and wiggled directly out of my arms to go play. The breeder put the puppies in the crate and we chatted a bit. She took the puppies out at least four more times. All the puppies would run directly past me to play and this one little puppy would run past me and put on the brakes to try to jump in my lap, as I said earlier, he was enthralled and I was starting to have heartbreak as this was not my puppy. Finalmente, the last time the breeder took the puppies out and they all ran past me but the one, she picked him up and shared she’d not seen anything like this, and well; he was my pup. That puppy, as you likely guessed, is my amazing Stirling.

Stirling and I went off to enjoy our busy, active life together, training and running. I loved having my first border collie.

Around the time he was a year old, I noticed he seemed to have periods when he did not feel well. He would have loose stool and seem tired; not as active. I would take him to the vet and he would get some medicine to calm his stomach. His labs were fine. I would notice he would have loose stool after a training session. The next symptom Stirling demonstrated was a full body rash. Stirling had pus like lesions all throughout his body. It was so scary! Off to the vet we went. At this point, as I am a nurse, I started to put together this seemed like an autoimmune or autoinflammatory condition. As quickly as the rash developed, it went away. From there, Stirling would go on to have periods of loose stool, lethargy, and high fever. I would rush him to the vet for treatment and part of the treatment was steroids. After treatment, Stirling would be back to his amazing self and off we would go running and training until the next episode. There were a number of these episodes. Finalmente, after one of the episodes, we saw a different vet as we were on holiday. I shared our story and I was so upset. She blurted out, “I think he has Addison’s disease!” She ran the tests, gave him steroids, and fluids to stabilize him. For this final episode, Stirling’s blood glucose was low; he had an atypical presentation of Addison’s. At least now we knew! Stirling’s presentation of Addison’s was an atypical presentation making an already challenging diagnosis even more challenging. We returned to Arizona, ran more tests to discover Stirling has primary Addison’s disease, but remains with glucocorticoid deficiency —or with Atypical Addison’s disease. Stirling has remained in Atypical Addison’s since 2012. Since he tested for primary Addison’s we follow his labs every 4 meses.

After the initial stabilization period, which was hard, Stirling has been feeling wonderful, running and competing. Our team for Stirling is amazing. Our Vet is very supportive of our treatment and we work together for the best treatment plan for Stirling. She is supportive of low dose prednisone and our feeding plan.

For brags, Stirling and I run together and recently we ran a 6-minute mile! We show in competitive obedience and are almost always in the ribbons. The UD (Utility Dog title) is one of the top obedience titles. Stirling is my first obedience dog to achieve the UD title. I adore every minute we have together. Strangely enough, I believe we enjoy a stronger bond because of the Addison’s.

Outside of the difficulty of diagnosis, and the initial stabilization period which was scary; we have an amazing life together. I am forever grateful for our medical care and our Canine Addison’s Resources & Education group (C.A.R.E). I do not believe I would have gotten through this without the expertise and guidance of our C.A.R.E group. The support and knowledge C.A.R.E provides is critical. I cannot count how many times I have reached out for guidance and support. The group also brings friendship and encouragement. I remember second guessing if I should be running and showing Stirling. Then I saw dogs in our C.A.R.E group doing agility. I was touched by a wonderful Border Collie named Idgie in our group. Watching Idgie’s brags gave me the encouragement I needed. At that moment, I decided Stirling was always supposed to be my dog and we would live the life we were intended. You will see me singing Team Stirling’s praises occasionally, in case someone needs just a little encouragement.

Stirling is well loved by both me and my wonderful, supportive husband who is also critical in supporting Stirling in his care. Our Addison’s dogs rock and can do it all!

Ali, Belgian Groenendael, Florida, EUA, Diagnosticado maio de 2014

Time to tell our story, and to share some good news. When we joined the CARE Facebook group, it was following a suggestion by a friend in another Facebook group about the Belgian Shepherd breeds. I had no idea that we needed help and that I could improve Ali’s care. Ali had her Addison’s crisis over 5 years prior, and she had been stable with 2.5 ml of Prednisolone daily and a monthly shot, at the vets, de 2.5 ml de Percorten – carefully calculated according to her weight (which I later discovered is not the way to adjust the medication).

My husband and I more than once had ‘that talk.’ Were we really doing the kindest thing treating her illness, keeping her alive? Bless, she was so ‘wired,’ jumpy, and nervous of everything. My brave fearless girl no more. She was ravenous! Starving hungry the whole time. It was painful to see. I was so sorry for her I used to buy her big shells of lettuce leaves to try and fill her up. Anything to put something in her stomach without fattening her up. She wolfed them down.

Despite giving her cranberry capsules everyday, she had countless bladder infections. Seemed like she was never clear of them and was constantly getting antibiotics to control them. Her fur had gone very sparse and coarse. Belgian Shepherds have a double coat, but she no longer had any soft warming undercoat of fur. Just the outer fur, with bald spots even in that. Neither of us ever got a full night’s sleep. Every night she needed to go out twice, some nights as many as three times.

But then I read the documents here and the advice which was helping others to reduce their dogs from the therapeutic dosage level which Ali was on to the biological replacement level of both Prednisolone and Percorten V. I’m a life scientist by training and it all made such good sense that I decided to give it a try. I just quietly got on and reduced Ali’s prednisolone, gradually and gently. And what do you know, she did great. It took a while, but she is now stable on 0.5 ml daily – one-fifth of her original dose!

As soon as I could see that she was doing better on a reducing dose of Prednisolone, I started telling our lovely veterinarian I wanted to reduce her Percorten and to base her dosage on her electrolytes, not her weight. We had quite a tussle to start with, but once he realized I wanted her treatment to be based on the results of her ‘lytes, he was fully supportive. We’ve been gradually reducing her dosage, and her last shot was 0.5 ml Zycortal (we switched from Percorten). Maybe down to 0.4 ml this time, but we’ll soon know. A few months ago, I started doing her shots myself. Partly to mitigate the additional costs of the monthly ‘lytes tests, but more to avoid Ali having to go to the vets so often. She’s very brave, but she’s been to the vets far too often in her little life.

Why am I telling you this now? Ben, we’ve just come back from Ali’s 28 day ‘lytes blood draw and our vet proudly told me that he has convinced the owner of another Addison’s dog in his care to start the same reducing treatment regime. And, bless him, he has suggested that they could start doing the monthly shot themselves to help offset the initial costs, citing me as an example.

Así, apart from being chuffed to bits that another dog will soon be feeling a lot less wired, I’ve learned another lesson. In convincing our veterinarians to treat our dogs the way we have learned is what they need, with just a replacement dosage, they will then take that knowledge and use it with other Addison’ dogs in their care. Having said it, that seems blindingly obvious that they would do so, but it honestly had not occurred to me.

Update: Another two years have passed since I wrote this. Thank you to everyone here at CARE for all they do to help our precious A-dogs and us, their anxious helicopter pet parents. I’m honored to have been asked to update it for the Canine Addison’s Awareness Week 2020.

My darling Ali continues to flourish. For over 2 years now, she has been stable on 0.5 ml of Prednisolone daily. I continued reducing her monthly Zycortal, guided by monthly ‘lytes tests, until we reached the level that kept her stable for 28 días. My poor girl, who had been given 2.5 mls of Percoten V every month for 5 years only needs the tiny monthly dose of 0.3 ml.

Last year we got a male Belgian Shepherd puppy. I thought Ali might appreciate not having the responsibility of being top dog in our little pack of two. What did we know! Having just celebrated his first birthday, Shadow is now a strapping big boy, taller, and heavier built than Ali. But my darling brave fearless girl is still determinedly top dog. Her coat is full, soft, and shining with health. I have to admit that she still bolts her meals, but that desperate hunger resides only in my memory. We both sleep through most nights. Nowadays, it’s me who needs to get up, not her. And she’s happy. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. She’s beside me now, cuddling up on the sofa, making typing very difficult.

Even I forget she’s ill. It’s just part of my routine to give her meds with her breakfast, quick, easy, and not a big deal at all. Her monthly shot is now routine. Collar off the night before. Draw up her meds into the syringe while she’s elsewhere, and then quickly give it to her while she’s enjoying her breakfast. But let her get sick, with anything, and I’m immediately that anxious A-dog mom again. Some things never change!

Simba, Standard Poodle, British Columbia, Canada, Diagnosed February of 2009

Simba naceu en febreiro 23, 2007. He was trained as a Service Dog for an autistic boy and was loved very much by his “brother.” Just before his 2nd birthday, caeu algunhas escaleiras. El acabou no veterinario, descrita como moi apático e incapaz de andar. Bloodwork levou a un diagnóstico de "presuntivo de Addison" (ningunha proba de ACTH). Recibiu un tiro de dexametasona e algúns fluídos IV, logo enviado a casa para tomar Florinef, "Para 2 meses, logo parar e manter Prednisona na man, se comeza a fallar na casa. "O seu ficheiro médico le como unha historia de terror. En novembro de 2010, tiña un "posible" crise Addisonian, coa súa potasio 5.6 (variar ata 5.8). Simba, aparentemente, tiña un total de 3 crises tempo coa súa familia en primeiro lugar, e, a continuación, sufriu un cuarto no momento da entrega ao Rescate da caniche estándar.

Coa idade de 6, Simba chegou o rescate & orfanato. O rescate e os membros da comunidade da Addison axudou a obter Simba no camiño certo, alternando-lo de Florinef para Percorten e empezou na seguinte fase da súa vida, que é moito máis feliz!

Keith e eu estabamos buscando un irmán para o noso Río, que absolutamente non gusta de ser un "único can". Estaba seguindo unha morea de cans dispoñibles no rescate, e, a continuación, Simba apareceu. Era como un clon do río no aspecto, só aínda máis fermosa. Eu simplemente non podía aproveitar os ollos ese neno fermoso. Nós tiñamos acaba de perder 2 cans nun par de anos, un de cancro, outro debido a complicacións de inoperables múltiples derivacións de fígado. Meu contacto co rescate intentou convencerme lonxe de Simba, dicindo que merecía un, sen problemas, pero de algunha maneira, sentimos que foron a xente certas para Simba e estaba seguro para nós. Simba chegou na nosa familia en marzo 23, 2013, non moito tempo despois do seu sexto aniversario, con unha variedade de follas de cálculo, Pills, e instrucións. Miña cabeza xiraba. Eu non sabía nada sobre Addison, excepto que era unha palabra moi asustado. Súa nai adoptiva, Katey, aseguroume que tería o seu total apoio xunto co de comunidade de Addison. Entrei para un grupo de apoio con bastante rapidez, pero esperou por moito tempo antes de publicar. Sendo unha persoa tímida, era difícil de falar para unha banda de estraños, mesmo que fosen só online. Ben, que foi a mellor cousa que eu fixen. Para Simba, foi bo porque eu teño axuda inmediata tratar con el, e, para min, foi bo - Eu fixen moitos novos amigos valiosos, persoas con quen eu teño unha cousa en común - todos amamos os cans da nosa Addison. Simba fora "anunciado" en todo o continente, e mesmo no Reino Unido, el veu co seu propio grupo de admiradores, e Keith e eu escorreguei no grupo con el.

A finais de xuño 2013, só 3 meses despois de que o adoptou, Simba pulou da furgoneta de Keith no garaxe e rompe a perna. Cal o seguinte paso para este neno querido! Foi un moi mal bocado e el acabou cunha placa de aceiro no seu brazo máis fío enrolado arredor do seu pulso. Foi-nos dito que era un 90% posibilidade de que el foi o cancro, por iso foron preparados para unha posible amputación seguido por tratamento de quimioterapia. Simba tivo sorte e se encaixan na 10% claro! Era un soldado coa tala e vestindo seu "bonnet,"E despois é só cando foi curado, tiven que volver 6 meses despois de ter a tarxeta eliminada.

Entón, nós estamos chegando a 2 anos dende que adoptamos Simba - el foi unha gran alegría. El é "a súa propia persoa,"Non me gusta doutros cans. El é un solitario, e é "exercer intolerante." A súa lista de medicamentos case desapareceu - despois de debidamente medico, problemas de pel anteriores desapareceron, derramando parado. Simba asistín outros cans xogar, pero nunca aprendeu a participar cando era máis novo. Deu unha morea de súa "xuventude diversión" por ser un can do servizo do autismo, e por estar moi doente. Pero a súa hora chegou - ten un oitavo aniversario a piques de acontecer - e el ten unha nai & Dad que o aman moito e faría calquera cousa por el, un río irmán que lle gusta telo aquí, e un novo Pinot irmá que non teña esquecido completamente que rosmou para ela o primeiro día en que ela estaba aquí, pero ela está se soltando. Simba significa "príncipe" e iso é o que é!

Pinot, Mini-Poodle/Cocker Spaniel mix, British Columbia, Canadá, Diagnosticado maio de 2014

Pinot é un cocker spaniel / mini-mix Caniche, nacido en maio 4, 2009. Ela viviu por 5 anos, nunha familia de que nada sei. Pero pouco antes da súa 5^th aniversario, ela foi levada para a Clínica de emerxencia con bloqueo de urina e unha vez que tivo a súa forte dabondo, ela tiña unha cistoscopia urinaria. Ela foi mandada a casa, pero regresou en un ou dous días en crise. O veterinario quixo probar a Addison pero entón a súa familia tiña acadar o seu punto de ruptura e pediu que fose posto para durmir. O veterinario tomou medidas para a entregou a el e ela foi diagnosticada cun ACTH a principios de maio. Ela, entón, vivía á seguinte 4 meses na clínica. Estabamos na clínica co Río un día e eles nos dixeron sobre Pinot e trouxo-nos ao noso encontro. Ela delimitada, saltou cara arriba na base, e non podía controlar a súa enerxía. Ela era unha bola de perfumarías e fofura. Movéndose ao longo, SPIN (Caniches estándar In Need) asumiu o control dela e Keith e eu promoveu seu. Pinot é brillante! O seu primeiro día, ela literalmente tranco tanto Keith & Río, e até hoxe son os seus dous principais squeezes. Na clínica, eles foran dándolle 1.0 mg de prednisona cada día e ela pesaba uns 14 libras. Así, Pinot tivo problemas de incontinencia graves. Traballamos en baixando a pred pero aínda cando estaba abaixo a 0,2 mg, ela aínda estaba vazando. Tentamos darlle Propalin (Microonda) só con algún éxito. Pero así que ela comezou a tomar Stilbestrol (DES) diario, ela foi completamente seco.

Podes imaxinar que SPIN non foi exactamente apresurado fóra dos seus pés coas persoas que querían adoptar esta criatura absolutamente querida. Algúns eran interesado o suficiente para aprender sobre Addison & considera-la, pero a filtración foi un negocio infrator. Durante todo o tempo, Eu estaba escribindo sobre o quão marabilloso que era, Eu estaba caendo cada vez máis apaixonado por ela me. Nós imos estar movendo moi pronto o que esixirá un 7 día viaxe de estrada e unha vez que xa tiña 2 poodles estándar, nós non pensamos que poderiamos adoptar unha 3^rd. Decidimos finalmente a "á la" - Pinot foi moi especial para deixar calquera máis gozar da súa. Ela pertence a nós, e pertencemos con ela. E ademais, como poderiamos ata pensar en levala lonxe do Río! Así, en decembro. 21, 2014, Pinot converteuse noso para sempre. Ela é unha delicia. Ela entrégalle un chinelos cando vén en, Aínda non pode ser o seu, pero ela é presentada con tal manobra querida bum que só ten que leva-la de calquera maneira. Ela é totalmente viciado de Squeaky xoguetes - o maior e o squeakier o mellor - este é un vicio que comparte co río e eles teñen algunhas disputas sobre o "mellor". Pinot conquistou nosos corazóns e vai perder los para sempre.

Klara, Standard Poodle, Duesseldorf, Germany, Diagnosed February of 2013

Klara naceu o día 12 de agosto 2009. Ela sempre foi un can alegre e animada, un moleque cunha gran curiosidade por todo novo. Os cambios viñeron despois do seu primeiro cio. Ela tornouse un picky Eater, que eu penso que estaba relacionada ás modificacións hormonais. Ela ficou en silencio e reaccionou de forma agresiva cando os cans veu moi preto, mesmo os seus mellores amigos do can. A pel negra nas pernas dianteiras virou gris.

Logo de novo foron longos períodos cando todo parecía estar ben. Pouco despois do seu terceiro aniversario, todo empeorou. Ela tivo unha infección no oído moi malo con bacterias multi-resistentes. Para obter a inflamación controlada, as canles de orella foron limpos baixo anestesia xeral. O goleada comezou. Comezou a rexeitar a comida. Ás veces, ela comeu nada para 3 días. Ás veces, ela tivo diarrea ou vomitado. En desespero, nós comezamos a xogar que pronto teriamos nosa propia entrada na clínica. A infección de oído aínda estaba causando problemas e Klara conseguiu o seu segundo limpeza de oído, baixo anestesia xeral.

Entrementes, ela tiña varias veces diarrea, vómitos, e prisión de ventre. Pasamos a véspera de Nadal e Ano Novo na clínica. As probas para parasitos foron negativos. O hemograma foi excelente. A infección do oído mantidos volver.

Inverno 2012/2013, tivemos tempo marabilloso. Moita neve e sol. Meus cans amo a neve e Klara arrastrou-se pola neve. Ela non tiña diversión. Vostede podía ver que non estaba facendo ben. Na maioría das veces ela durmía. Os veterinarios non atoparon ningunha causa.

En febreiro 2013, foi aínda peor. Diarrea, vómitos, ela parecía estar con dor, rexeitouse a súa comida, pero bebeu moita auga. Os veterinarios dixo, "Debemos esperar. Podería ser por mor do seu calor. "O día seguinte, cando cheguei a casa, Eu tiven un sentimento estraño – algo deu moi mal aquí. Eu dirixe novo ao hospital e ao veterinario quería mandar aínda, “Non podemos atopar calquera cousa. Creo que é o seu calor!”

Iso foi máis. Eu estaba con rabia e solicitou unha investigación máis aprofundada. “Algo está mal co Klara. Eu non vou entrar!! Faga o traballo!” Fixeron un exame de sangue completo e, a continuación,, os veterinarios estaban moi preocupados. Súa potasio foi 7.6 nunha variedade de 3.5-5.8. Súa sodio foi 139 nunha variedade de 144-160. O bloodwork nos contou a súa vida estaba en perigo. Ela estaba completamente deshidratado. Finalmente, miraron para a causa. Envenenamento, Ultra-sonografia renal, leptospirose. Ela foi dada unha IV con bolsas de perfusión. Podería tomar Klara casa. Fomos todos os días para a clínica e fixeron máis probas. Falaron de insuficiencia renal, pero non atopou ningunha causa. Valores sanguíneos de Klara foron realizadas só polos infusións pero aínda que non axuda moito. Os valores sanguíneos foron peores. Para os días, ela vigor foi alimentado, pero ela perdeu máis e máis peso. Ela foi levada para a UTI e estabamos preparados para perdela. Os veterinarios dixeron que querían probar un último. Eles dixeron que podería ser a enfermidade de Addison e quería facer a proba de ACTH. A causa foi descuberta. Klara tiña Addison e tratamento iniciouse. O día seguinte, Eu podería levala a casa.

Ela se recuperou rapidamente e todo parecía estar ben. Con todo, ela non era tan forte como cans saudables. É por iso que eu teño cambiado de Florinef para Percorten.

Coa axuda do grupo, traballamos para atopar Klara 's mellor dose. Agora, pesa 27 kg e recibe 0,40 ml de cada Percorten 28 días e 1 mg de prednisona por día. Para min, é como un milagre para ver como ela gusta da súa vida, sen as restricións. Agora, case 2 anos máis tarde, Klara se sente mellor que nunca. Cambiar a Percorten foi a mellor decisión. Klaraismentallybalanced,alegre, negra, e valente. E despois dun longo día de traballo(ela é a miña asistente train, Eu son un adestrador de cans) ela aínda ten enerxía dabondo para xogar alegría plenamente co seu irmán e me!

Flip, English Cocker Spaniel, The Netherlands, Diagnosed April of 2014

Estou Annet e moro en Holanda. Temos 4 cans, dous Cocker Spaniel Inglés, un boom e un Griffon belga. Un dos cockers – o seu nome é Flip e é 4 anos – ten Addison desde abril 2014.

El bebía toneladas de auga e non era a súa auto emocionante por algunhas semanas. Así, cando os cans tiñan que ter os seus tiros anuais, Eu preguntei se o veterinario pode comprobar o seu bloodwork total de, porque non estaba ben. Cando chegamos a casa, Inverter desapareceu debaixo da mesa e quedei alí, nin sequera saír para un goce. E iso é algo que é completamente non Xire…. Despois dalgunhas horas o veterinario me chamou e dixo que o seu potasio estaba perigosamente alta eo seu sodio moi baixo. Entón, el dixo que eu sospeito que ten a enfermidade de Addison. Despois de viaxar en 'mundo de Addison’ por case un ano agora, Sei que o meu veterinario fixo marabilloso por diagnóstica lo axiña! Quería confirmar coa proba de ACTH, pero descubriuse que a proba non estaba dispoñible en Holanda no momento, non nun veterinario, nin nunha escola veterianarian! Entón Xire nunca foi definitivamente diagnostica coa proba de ACTH, porque simplemente non era posíbel. El ficou fludrocortisone e hidrocortisona e despois de un pouco de tempo en 'Addison Mundial’ Eu desmamou fóra da hidrocortisona completamente. O protocolo holandés para Addison é 'Fludrocortisona e altas doses de hidrocortisona para o resto da vida do can'. Meu veterinario dixo Ok desmamar-lo fóra do HYDRO, pero despois el me dixo que el temía que, debido a este protocolo. Addison é, por suposto, unha enfermidade rara, de xeito que é o que sabía e non cuestionei.

Pero foi moi ben, entón só tiña Xire fludrocortisone. O único é que flip non facer o mellor sobre el e acabamos axustando súa dose de case cada dúas semanas. Pesa aleta 18 kg e tiña 0.8175 mg fludro. Tiña moi glucocorticosteróides na súa medicación, iso era certo! El sempre foi un can de saída, pero foi ridículo, choramingar cando quedou un pouco animado (así, indo a unha camiña, recibindo un tratamento, quedando cea, pensando que estabamos indo a fóra etc), Virar pobres…….
Afortunadamente atopei unha persoa que podería proporcionar Percorten (ou mellor, esa persoa me atopou) e iso deu lugar a un evento memorable en 5 Xaneiro 2015: Virar foi o primeiro can en Holanda para obter unha inxección de Percorten!

Está indo moito sobre el, súa personalidade é normalizar, seu cabelo está quedando vermello de novo (no canto de facer máis rubio e máis loura) e é evidente novo.

Pepsi, pastor alemán, india, EUA, Diagnosticado xullo 2007

Gústame escribir, pero eu me sento aquí mirando para unha pantalla en branco, con medo de que eu non podo facer historia xustiza de Pepsi. Comparto esta historia con todos vós coa esperanza de que vai axudar a alguén. Adoptado Pepsi cando estaba a piques 6 meses de idade, en decembro de 2003. Ela era un can tan único e sorprendente, pero non son todos eles na súa propia maneira especial?

Pepsi tiña un filhote de can-capa principalmente normais, pero que sofren de máis enfermidades do que a maioría dos cans facer. Despois de que ela virou tres, ela desenvolveu feridas na súa vulva. Despois de varias viaxes ao veterinario, e logo cambiar veterinarios, e tentando máis algunhas opcións, estabamos considerando a cirurxía para reconstruír a súa vulva. Con todo, ela comezou a ir costa abaixo axiña. Ela estaba perdendo peso, sacudindo, e, por riba de todo, Eu só sabía que algo estaba mal. Fomos para vet tras veterinario, onde todo o que me dispensou dicindo que era "só a envellecer e establecerse." A esa altura, eu tiña ela no consultorio do veterinario cada semana durante meses. Nós ata tente cambiar veterinarios algunhas veces. A súa enerxía foi diminuíndo rapidamente. En breve, ela non podía nin andar fóra do curro, sen ter que botar e facer pausas. Ela estaba a ter problemas para ter un movemento intestinal. Eu a levei para consultorio do veterinario de novo, onde se diagnosticou con colite. Chegamos na casa, e ela non podía saír do coche.

Eu sabía que era iso, así que eu acabo de volver no coche e dirixiu ata Chicago - a cidade grande. Dentro 10 minutos de nós que entran no hospital de urxencia en Chicago, ela foi diagnosticada preliminar coa enfermidade de Addison, e se me dixo que ela probablemente non tería feito isto máis unha noite sen tratamento. Ela ficou alí 3 ou 4 días, mentres eles teñen os seus fluídos up, e súa forza de volta. Ela tiña unha proba de ACTH feito para confirmar a enfermidade de seu Addison. Como aliviado como eu estaba a buscala do hospital, Eu tamén estaba arrasado ao saber que o seu tratamento custa case $400 un mes. Eu non tiña idea de como eu estaba indo a pagalo, pero nós estabamos indo a descubrir un xeito.

Foi cando comecei a buscar myself, e atopou un grupo de K-9 de Addison que debo a vida de Pepsi para. Eles me axudaron a comprender a enfermidade, como interpretar os seus probas, e leva-la a dose correcta de medicamentos. Despois diso, nunca mirou cara atrás.

Ademais de 1.4 ml de cada Percorten-V 28 días e 1 mg de prednisona por día, Pepsi tamén levou varios suplementos. Ela acabou indo vivir 7 máis anos marabillosos nas doses correctas dos seus medicamentos que, á mantenta, só me custou menos de $80.00 por mes. Pepsi viviu ata os 11 ½ anos de idade, o que é moi grande para un 130 Dog Pound. Pepsi morreu de cancro o día de Acción de Grazas en 2014.

Obter un diagnóstico da Enfermidade de Addison pode ser asustado e asustado, pero Pepsi era a proba de que se pode vivir unha vida significativa feliz cos medicamentos correctos. Debido a Pepsi, a todos os que a tocou aprendín tanto sobre a vida, amor e amizade. Ela fará moita falta.

Valentino, Ouro Collie Mix, Texas, EUA, Diagnosticado decembro de 2007

Valentino entrou na miña vida en febreiro 2007 cando se fixo meu adoptivo tras un tris nun abrigo alto da matanza. Foi media hora de seren sometidos á eutanasia. Era un vago emagrecido ausente a maior parte do cabelo nos seus lados (súa pel era dun rosa brillante brillante!) e unha franxa de cabelo louro como un mohawk por súas costas, pesando só £ 30 – el agora é un £ 55 saudable. Levou 3 meses para restaurar-lle a saúde, e gañou de peso. Ata entón, Eu tiña me tornado un fracaso foster, e Valentino foi todo meu! El durmiu a maior parte deses primeiro 3 meses entre as comidas e potty indo antes que parecía haberse recuperado. El comezou a ter síntomas de letargo, falta de enerxía e incapacidade para entrar / saír do coche para un par de meses e, aínda que el nunca perdeu o apetito completamente, empezou a pegar a súa comida tentando comer, Eu sabía que algo estaba mal, pero o noso veterinario no momento (a última vez!) rexeitou o seu comportamento como “actuando fóra”. El entrou en colapso en decembro 2007 e nosa viaxe coa enfermidade de Addison comezou. Seu veterinario non podía “caber” Valentino por máis dunha semana e fomos para vet dun amigo que conseguiu encaixar connosco. É difícil saber se o seu AD podería ser crecente e minguante antes como fora tan mal cando cheguei por primeira vez. Súa caída foi en decembro 19, el pasou 2 días no hospital de especialidade, e por decembro 25, sentía ben o suficiente para tentar fuxir co pato de Nadal que estaba drenando na pía da cociña – por sorte, el foi prendido en flagrante eo pato sobreviviu a ser servido para a cea de Nadal como desexado!

Valentino foi iniciado en Florinef / agravado fludrocortisone en .4mg (menor que o recomendado polo seu peso) e 2,5 mg de prednisona en 12/07 – pero os seus eletrólitos eran perfectos (!) por un ano. Despois dun ano, seus eletrólitos saíu do control, e tivo aumentos semanais na súa Florinef, ata que chegou a 2mg pero os seus eletrólitos aínda non estaban baixo control.

Atopamos un veterinario 1.5 hrs distancia que estaba disposto a traballar coa xente e comezar Valentino en 1,8 ml, que foi considerado o “dose baixa” en 2009, a dose estándar foi un pouco máis de 2 ml (Lembro de pensar que eu non chegaría nin 2 doses de cada bote, a un custo mensual de preto de $100 só para o Percorten-V!) Ao longo dos anos, nós lentamente reducida en 10-20% de cada vez. Empezamos a 1,8 ml en 7/09 e nin sequera chegar a 1 ml til 9/10, .75ml en 6/11, .5ml en 10/13, .4ml Corrente en 9/14. Estabamos todos moito máis conservador na época e nós non temos información suficiente en ir a doses máis baixas………excepto a través das experiencias doutros membros do grupo. Era todo novo territorio! O estudo de dose baixa estaba dispoñible en 2009, poderiamos ter iniciado con .95ml e chegou a menor dose efectiva de Valentino que moito máis cedo e salvo unha morea de cartos en Percorten-V e electrólitos mensuais probas como un extra. Eu non podo dicir o suficiente sobre a diferenza é en doses máis baixas fixo en como Valentino sente ao longo do mes cos seus eletrólitos estar moi preto do mid-range entre doses. Pasou anos facendo “está ben” – mopey, letárgico para 2 semanas despois de cada tiro, sentindo un pouco máis alegre aproximadamente unha semana antes da súa próxima tacada debeuse, logo sentindo letárgico novo cando recibiu outro tiro – pero agora está facendo “gran” durante todo o mes cunha dose moi pequena de Percorten-V! Xunto coa última redución Percorten-V, Eu tamén teño sido capaz de reducir a súa Prednisona para .5mg – estaba paira entre .75mg no inverno para 1,25mg no verán hai anos. Tamén mudaron para líquido prednisolona como as súas encimas do fígado converteuse en alta e estaba derramando unha morea……….

PS – Situación de Valentino como un enfermo, difusa indesexadas foi a inspiración para o meu profundo compromiso e implicación en cuestións de benestar animal en San Antonio! Cantos cans só como Valentino morreron porque non había ninguén para intensificar a eles antes da obrigatoria 72 hr período de espera de rúa expirou?

Argos, Borrador, Colorado, EUA, Diagnosticado decembro de 2010

O rescate tiña todos os fillos esterilizados ou castrados antes de seren levados a casa. Argus foi neutralizado en dous meses de idade, e nós o trouxo a casa máis tarde aquel día. Dous días despois estaba frío e tremendo moi difícil. Vimos seu lugar da incisión para detectar signos de infección e implica o en mantas para tentar quecelo. Naquela tarde, nós o levamos para o veterinario que fixo a cirurxía (45 minutos). O veterinario dixo que estaba tendo unha reacción á cirurxía e sería bo. El deulle un tiro e deume algunhas pílulas para dar para os próximos días. Na mañá seguinte, el era moito mellor. Fomos ver o noso propio veterinario para a nova selección de can. Eles inmediatamente tomou as pastillas que se nos deu e dixo que un filhote de can nunca debe ser dado a estes. Eu non me lembro o que os comprimidos eran, pero o tiro foi Dexametasona e agora eu creo que é o que o tirou do que estaba a suceder.

Era un can moi diferente do que calquera que tivemos antes del. Era moito máis maduro do que calquera can que eu xa tiña coñecido. Mirando cara atrás, está claro que estaba mostrando signos de súa Addison desde o primeiro día. Medrou e diminuíu a case dous anos. Durante este tempo, que perdeu a "big brother,"Promoveu dous fillos de can por un par de semanas cada, e, a continuación, trouxo outro filhote de can na nosa casa. En decembro de 6, 2010, Argus deixar de comer. Cada día avanzaba a outro síntoma (Hind debilidade final, tremores, xeada, etc.). Noso veterinario dixo que era bacterias na súa barriga – vai superar isto - alimento-lo arroz cocido (non hai probas foron executados). Algúns días despois, fomos a un veterinario diferente que dixo que os seus órganos están pechando e está morrendo – deixar ir!!!! Cómo cargaba Argus, caída sobre os brazos para o terceiro vet, Eu penso que nunca ía leva-lo á casa. O veterinario deulle fluídos e executou unha proba de sangue, exames de feces, raios X, toda a obra, e mantívose o alí. Aquela noite, ela chamou e dixo, “Eu sospeito que algo que quero probar para pola mañá.” Por aquela noite, ela explicou a cousa toda para min. El ficou en fluídos e conseguiu o seu primeiro tiro. Ata este punto, mentres meu home e eu nos revezamos sentir con el, el nos deu pouca resposta. O veterinario non quería deixalo ir a casa porque aínda non comería. O día seguinte, Entrei e dixen a ela que quería levalo para casa. Finalmente acordado se eu prometín para traelo en si non chegase a el para comer o próximo 12 horas. Cando trouxo-o para fora, el pulou enriba de nós e ao veterinario dixo, “Si, necesita ir a casa!” Entón, el lentamente veu para comer e nos cambiamos as celebracións de Nadal para a casa da miña irmá e quedaron quietos e coidado con todo o que fixemos. Agora este vet me dixo para trae-lo en todos os 28 días para o balón, darlle o seu Prednisona todos os días e que vai vivir unha vida normal.

Argus é 60 lbs, e foi dado 2ml de cada Percorten 28 días durante nove meses polo técnico veterinario. Ten 5 mg de prednisona por un par de meses. O primeiro que atopei foi informacións sobre Prednisona. Estabamos dándolle á noite e eu penso que debería estar recibindo o de mañá, por iso, cambiou de que. Entón eu li un artigo sobre a dosificación e temos que ata 2,5mg. Ata o oitavo mes vin que a vida Argus "non era normal. Non tiña coraxe. El parecía apático. Tiña máis dunha existencia dunha vida! É dicir, cando eu finalmente atopei un grupo de Internet. Os exames de sangue e electrólitos - O QUE? Nada diso estaba a ser feito. Era a hora de outro tiro e eu me fun a falar co veterinario (quen eu non vira en varios meses). Ela se mudara para o norte para abrir a súa propia práctica. Eu pedín para falar con un dos outros veterinarios. O veterinario que posúe a facilidade de díxome estas probas están feitos unha vez ao ano e a dose de Percorten só cambiaría o peso del cambiou e eu nunca podería facer o tiro me. El non quixo escoitar unha palabra do que eu dixen, nin mirar para a información que eu tentou presentar a el. A actitude del me dixo que eu tiña que ser máis forte e comezar a facer chamadas telefónicas. I teléfono entrevistou varios veterinarios durante o próximo par de días. Todos eles sabían todo sobre Addison. Un veterinario finalmente me chamou e antes de que eu puidese preguntar-lle calquera cousa, ela preguntoume cando os eletrólitos (“Lytes”) realizado o último exame. Cando me dixo que necesitabamos facelo primeiro a ver se estaba preparado para outro tiro e precisaba ser reducido, Eu sabía que ese era o veterinario que eu precisaba para intentar. Despois de obter os resultados Lytes o veterinario díxome, "Temos unha longa espera, non é de admirar que el non se sentía ben, el é moito máis de medico. "Mal sabía canto tempo de espera! Probamos seus Lytes unha vez por semana por máis de tres meses. Foi un pouco máis 100 días cando o seu K finalmente levantouse para un pouco por riba da mid-range. Comezou a el en 0,5ml naquel momento e para os próximos meses, reduciuse ata chegar 0,3ml. Despois de varios meses, o que sexa necesario para trae-lo de volta ata 0,32 ml. Esa dose foi moi bo traballar hai moitos meses. Este vet foi excelente co Percorten, pero realmente non creo que a prednisona debe ser reducido. Eu preguntei se ía deixarme tentar, sabendo que eu ía velo de cerca, e ela accedeu. El agora está a ser 1mg diario.

E agora, aquí estamos, cos medicamentos optimizadas, en case 6 anos, temos o can que debería ser en primeiro lugar!

Lexie, Labrador Retriever Mix, Windsor, Canadá, Diagnosticado decembro de 2012

Adoptado Lexie do noso refuxio local en xullo 2010. Ela foi estimada en preto de 4-5 meses de idade no momento. Meu home e eu a trouxo a casa nun “xuízo” mentres que a nosa 2 fillas estaban ausentes no campamento de verán, como o meu marido ten alerxias e precisaba ver como reaccionaría. Ben, Eu sabía que o momento en que tivo Lexie no noso coidado para que ela non estaba indo de volta para que o abrigo – esposo tería só que vivir con seus alerxias!!

Poucos días despois de estar coa xente, Lexie tivo un episodio de vómito e diarrea, e unha viaxe en pánico ao veterinario, onde probou negativo para parvo e foi enviado a casa con instrucións para non dar comida a un día e, a continuación, iniciar unha dieta branda. Ela se recuperou moi ben, e ao longo da próxima 2 anos pasaría a ter crises ocasionais de vómitos e diarrea, pero non parece ser nada moi grave. Ela estaba feliz e activo, e semella principalmente saudable. Durante a primavera eo verán de 2012, entendemos que outros síntomas, incluíndo ollos goopy, infeccións de oído, e problemas de pel e peles. Comezou a lamber as patas excesivamente, para o punto de escoriação. Os problemas de estómago continuou e foron empeorando. Ela canso facilmente co exercicio e ía durmir durante as mañás, non se preocupe en levantarse para comer o almorzo. Un sábado a principios de decembro, 2012, que participaron no desfile de Nadal local e, a continuación, fixo unha visita ao parque do can. Lexie só puxo alí como outros cans veu ao redor e cheirou seu – tan diferente de Lexie. Máis tarde aquela noite, Fixen unha visita de after-hours ao veterinario con ela, mentres ela estaba tremendo e cheiraba divertido (como a amoníaco). O veterinario examinou-a e non vin nada obvia de preocupación, e dixo para volver ao día seguinte para bloodwork se parecía estar empeorando. Ben, aquela noite foi horrible, con Lexie sacudindo a meus pés como nós tratamos durmir. Volver ao veterinario o día seguinte para bloodwork. Agradecidamente, meu veterinario sospeita de Addison cando viu o bloodwork. Por esta altura, Lexie estaba moi enfermo e foi internado no hospital para fluídos e a proba de ACTH, que deu positivo.

Pegando Lexie ata traela para casa foi unha incrible, momento emocional, mentres corría para nós con tanta felicidade e non había un ollo seco na clínica veterinaria!! Por esta altura, Eu atopara axuda a través da comunidade de Addison en liña e unha gran veterinario, que estaba disposto a probar algo novo – Low Dose Percorten. Hoxe, Lexie é 70 lbs e leva 0.4 ml de Percorten, xunto coa súa dose diaria de prednisona.

Creo que Lexie entrou na miña vida por unha razón. Hospedarse no que o abrigo significaría a morte certa para ela, Estou convencido de, ea nosa familia é capaz de fornece-la con coidado especial que ela ten. Por ela, Teño novo “amigos” por todo o mundo. Podo honesta dicir que Lexie nunca foi mellor – Diagnóstico de Addison foi non significa unha sentenza de morte, mais en vez diso foi un novo golpe de vida!!

Dharma, Shepherd Mix, Diagnosticado xullo 2013

Eu adoptei Dharma do abrigo condado cando era 8 semanas de idade. Ela foi unha das 7 crías de can, vivindo nun fogar adoptivo. Chamei-lle a súa natureza pensativa; seus ollos reflectían augas profundas. Adoito xogar que ten unha personalidade só unha nai podería amar; ela é tan ... uh, raro. Ela é o contrario de todas as cousas do can estereotipado. Cando estaba 5 anos, Eu chegaba a casa do traballo, o mércores, para atopar 7 vómitos, e 4 diarreas. Eu a levei ao veterinario na mañá seguinte. Durante o próximo 3 semanas(e algúns centenares de dólares), meu veterinario de 10+ anos correu análises de sangue e, en definitiva, -Nos enviado a casa con un diagnóstico de cancro (baseado en "25 anos de habilitación"), un bote de comprimidos de 20 mg de prednisona, e un tapinha simpático na cabeza. Eu fun a unha segunda opinión. Dúas semanas e varios centos de dólares (máis) máis tarde, pousamos nun hospital cheo de expertos. Despois do traballo, nunha noite de mércores, Fixeron un ultrasóns. Aínda sen respostas; como o "experto" sería o día seguinte. Alguén mencionou probas para Addison (a outra $250). O ultrasóns foi $500+, e eu admito, Eu estaba no final da miña sagacidade, pregunta como eu podería continuar a pagar para o exame sen fin sen respostas. Eu lles dixo que ía durmir con ela, e esperar por máis interpretación do ultrasón, o día seguinte.

Na mañá seguinte, en 4:20 da mañá, Eu sentín unha sensación estraña no meu pescozo. Foi a respiración do Dharma, mal. A súa cabeza estaba no meu ombreiro, e me levou un pouco para entender que a súa respiración era feble e errático. De súpeto, I entendeu que o seu corpo estaba contorcido horriblemente, como un pretzel. Os seus ollos estaban completamente baleiro. Saltei da cama, xogou en roupa, colleu a con unha manta, e foi para o coche. Eu execute en toda a cidade, ao lugar que estivera na noite anterior. Agradecidamente, Eu pasara para notar que eles eran un 24 instalación de hora. Eu fixen a 45 hora viaxe en 25. Como eu execute a través do porto con Dharma nos meus brazos, seu corazón parou. E así fixo a súa respiración. Entreguei-lle para o atendente e dixo, "Por favor, axuda-la".

O veterinario de emerxencia noites realizou un milagre, Dharma e trouxo de volta á vida, sen ningún dano permanente. Pero aínda non sabía o que estaba mal con ela. Realizouse proba de ACTH, pero os resultados levaría 24 horas. Eles non tiñan seguro que ela ía durar moito tempo. Fixeron unha cirurxía exploratoria, con base no que viu na Ultra-sonografia. Eles sospeitaron dun bloqueo. Todo o que eles atoparon foi anormalmente pequenas glándulas supra-renais. Eu non sei como ela sobreviviu a cirurxía. Dous milagres nun día.

Next, Esperamos. Dixéronme que, se non fose Addison, entón non había practicamente nada que puidesen facer, como xa tiñamos probado para, e buscou cirurxicamente para, todos, pero o máis escuro.

O día seguinte, cando recibín a chamada me dicindo que era, de feito, Enfermidade de Addison, Chorei bágoas de felicidade incontroláveis. Nese momento, a totalidade do estrés e angustia de noso calvario apoderouse de min nunha inundación de alivio. Foi finalmente acabou. Finalmente tivemos unha resposta.

Eu xa reflexionou sobre esta secuencia de eventos. A cantidade insana de diñeiro que custou para chegar ao diagnóstico (imos só dicir que a conta final foi máis do que eu gasto co meu coche) é suficiente para causar calquera para reflectir. O meu único arrepentimento é o sufrimento horrible que Dharma soportou. O meu único reto é perdoar o veterinario orixinal para enviar-nos por ese camiño. Esta experiencia ensinou unha nai de dous fillos adultos sobre un novo tipo de amor. Unha que prevalece, aínda que non ten necesariamente de.

Gracie, English Mastiff, Rockford, IL, Diagnosticada en 2007

Gracie é un 10 anos 134 libra Mastiff Inglés. Gracie foi abusada ata que ela estaba 6 meses de idade. Naquela época, ela entón foi para unha familia amorosa. Desafortunadamente, que a vida rematou moi pronto co tráxico accidente. O marido eo neno da súa familia morreron nun accidente de automóbil. Gracie consolou a nai á seguinte 6 meses. A nai, entón, tivo que cambiar e non podería tomar Gracie con ela. Isto doía tanto. Ela mirou para un grupo de rescate.

A nai adoptiva prometeu que ía esperar á familia perfecta para adoptar Gracie. Gracie estivo no foster por moito máis tempo do normal.

Eu tiña un mastiff que foi diagnosticado coa Addison 7 meses de idade. Era o tampinha da súa niñada e estaba na porta da morte cando rescatado. Once we found out she had Addison’s, she lived to 4 ½ anos de idade. Her kidneys, which were never formed correctly finally gave out on her. She was my first mastiff and I fell in love with the breed despite the issues she had. I decided that I needed to rescue another one.

I found Gracie on the website of the rescue group I had started helping with. I was just drawn to her and her story. I talked to her foster mom for hours about her. We both knew that she was going to come to her forever home with me. She was several hours away so the foster mom and I met halfway.

Right away Gracie came up to me and my daughter and she leaned on my leg and sat on my foot. The lean is everything for a mastiff. If they lean on you they like you. It was love at first sight for me and my kids.
Fast forward to 7 months later, Gracie crashed and could not get up my stairs. My son carried her up and into the car and we rushed her to my wonderful vet. I will never forget that day. Gracie was on IV’s and in a kennel with me sitting on the floor next to her. My vet walked in and sat on an empty kennel. He told me that he was going to do the test for Addison’s or that she could have some type of cancer.

The next day all four of my vets came into the room and told me that she indeed did have Addison’s. One of them said he stayed up half the night looking for mastiffs with AD and there just were not too many (at that time he could find none). They told me they were sorry that I now had my second Addisonian Mastiff.

I told them I was happy that it was indeed Addison’s. I already knew Addison’s was manageable and a dog could live a full and normal life with it. I even had some meds left over from my first girl. My first girl took .8 mg of Florinef 2 times a day. We started Gracie on that dose and kept playing with it over the next year. She finally ended up on 1.5 mg Florinef 2 times per day. She has been on that dose for 7 years now.

No one can tell me that this girl was not meant to come to live with me. Her foster mom had turned down other potential adopters because of the promise she made to Gracie’s owner former owner to find the perfect family.

When Gracie was 4 she somehow got out of my yard by going under my fence. I never thought a 134 pound dog would go under my fence but she did. She got hit by a car and Animal control had to get her by the pole neck chain because she was being aggressive. My neighbor saw animal control with her and told them that she lived with me. They knocked on my door on this Sunday. They had her good side facing me so I did not know she was hit. Then they turned her and she had a deep gash in her chest. My car was in the shop and I had no way to get her to the ER vet. Animal control drove me.

I went running in the door screaming that she had Addison’s.

The vet on call was the husband of one of my vets that cared for Gracie. Gracie was on death’s doors; she went gray and limp. They dosed her with high amounts of prednisone and put in a chest tube. She had air around her lungs. Since the ER vet could talk to my vets that night, the plan was to Gracie to my vet in the AM for surgery. The ER vet was just not comfortable working on a dog with Addison’s.

The next day my wonderful, amazing vets waited until their lunch hour to do her surgery so all four of them could be in there and monitor her. Her sternum was broken and they could not do anything about that. They were able to close the wound and keep her safe. She recovered from that.

I fixed all of my fencing however, from that day forward she is very scared of cars on the roads.

About a year after that, Gracie started to gain lots of weight. My wonderful vets (have I mentioned how much I love my vets) did a thyroid test and sure enough she had low thyroid. The weight came off as soon as she was put on meds and she was back to her happy healthy self.

In 2011, tragedy struck my household. My children’s father was killed in a car accident. Gracie is the kind of dog who reads people so well. She comforted me and my children the same way she did with her first owner.
Gracie continues to be by our side whenever we are feeling down. Once again, no one can tell me that this girl was not meant to be in our lives.

About a year ago Gracie developed acute onset glaucoma and went blind in her left eye. My vets were able to shrink her eye so she would no longer be in pain. She could lose her other eye at any time, but so far the drops I put in her good eye are working.

Gracie also has chronic subcutaneous cysts all over her body. She has two that keep popping and becoming infected. She now takes antibiotics every 30 days for 10 days and that is working well. Because of her age and her Addison’s, the vets and I have chosen not to remove the cysts.

Through all of this, Gracie has always been a fighter and a champion. Nothing gets her down. My vets continue to be amazed by her.

Gracie turned 10 on Feb. 5, 2015.

No one thought she would live this long. She is still a happy girl, gets around great and is the love of my life. She is truly my heart dog.

This is more than a story of a dog with Addison’s; this is a story of a dog that was put on this earth to comfort her families though the good and the very bad times.

Addison’s is just one part of her story but it also shows that a dog with AD can live life to its fullest and get through the tough times also.

Kindle, Belgian Shepherd (Tervueren), New Zealand, Diagnosed in 2011

Kindle is a grey Belgian Shepherd (Tervueren) born in 2007. She was always (hindsight is a wonderful thing) a fussy puppy with food but otherwise normal for the first few years of her life and excelled both in the breed show ring and in her first agility competitions.

In August 2011, she started to appear a little lethargic – seemed fine otherwise but just didn’t have her normal drive in training and was just a bit quiet. A week later, she threw up a whole chicken neck which she had been given for dinner 2 nights prior so off to the vet we went. By this stage her litter sister had just been diagnosed as Typical Addison’s so I made the vet aware but as her sodium and potassium readings were normal, the vet dismissed this possibility. He did pick up an issue with her heart so we had a full heart test done which did show some anomalies in the rhythm. We were referred to the National Veterinary training facility who listened to our story and the first they did was run an ACTH test and bingo we had our answer. Kindle had Atypical Addison’s.

For the next 18 meses, she was maintained on Prednisone alone and got her drive back, continued to compete in agility and was very well indeed. We had moved cities and really fell on our feet finding a relatively young vet who had been really involved with a few Addison’s cases during his first couple of years in practice.

In the December of 2012, we were out of town at a show and she just didn’t seem “right” on the Saturday morning. We whipped her to the vet who did bloods and told me she was in full renal failure and would probably not last the night. Con todo, one look at her sodium and potassium levels told me she was in an Addisonian crisis and I convinced the vet that this was what was going on. It is often hard to get out of town vets to listen to you as he did not know her history and also happened not to know anything about Addison’s either. He was great, however, and went along with the mad woman who insisted he write a script for Florinef which I grabbed from the local pharmacy. He looked up starting doses and she stayed at the clinic overnight. I will always be grateful that he listened and tried for me as the prospect of driving around a strange city on a Saturday afternoon trying to find someone who knew about Addison’s really did not appeal.

He rang first thing in the morning to say that she was bouncing around the cage, had ripped out her drip line and was generally being a pain in the butt. He could not get over the difference to the very sick dog who had arrived the previous afternoon. They ended up keeping her in for 48 horas, at the end of which I think they were well pleased to get rid of her 🙂 . She was “helping” in the kennels and getting cuddles from everyone.

Like most, I have learned a lot about the disease in the years since her diagnosis. She is now a happy, healthy, energetic, nearly 8 year old who screams around like a puppy with absolutely no side effects at all. She is the biggest gannet around food and will eat anything – we now have to be careful she doesn’t get overweight – what a difference!

She retired from agility at 7 years only because she had broken her leg as a 2 anos (she really has been my problem child) and I wanted her to stop before it caused a problem for her later on.

Her medications are just part of our everyday life and you would never know she has the disease. Her Florinef dose is pretty high but it is what it is and she is fine on it. Those out there promoting information and assistance to people with Addison’s dogs are amazing. Thank you all!

Skye, Tervueren, Suecia, Diagnosed January of 2016

Skye is a beautiful Tervueren who shares her life with Denise Strom in Sweden. To save you some “googling”, a Tervueren (alternate spelling Tervuren) is a Belgian Shepherd, named after a village in Belgium. Skye now weighs 24kg (53 LB) and is 6 anos. She was diagnosed with Typical Addison’s just one year ago early in 2016 at the age of 5. She was treated with Florinef initially and managed very well although her sodium levels were always on the low side.

Then throughout October & novembro 2016 she suffered numerous bouts of bloody diarrhea. Increased doses of Florinef, up to 0.8mg daily, and extra prednisone failed to prevent recurrences. Denise joined CARE in November and presented Skye’s symptoms while asking for advice. She credits Merrie Gahr Spiekerman who asked if Skye had been checked for pancreatitis. Denise was pondering this possibility when Skye got diarrhea again and this time she could not stand up. Skye was rushed to the Emergency Clinic where they performed a “quick test” which was positive & pancreatitis was later confirmed by the specific cPLI test. Luckily, it was a mild attack. Skye received pain relief, an increase in prednisone, and most importantly, her food was changed to a low fat diet.

Denise waited two months before reporting on Skye’s progress to make sure that all went well. Since the change in diet almost 2 months prior, Skye has been healthy and stable on Florinef 0.6mg and 5mg hydrocortisone, and her electrolytes are great. Denise’s vet is reluctant to reduce the hydrocortisone at this time since Skye has been doing so well.

Skye had never had bloody diarrhea before she got Addison’s so this was one symptom that stood out. Denise wanted to tell Skye’s story because she suspects that Skye is not the only dog with increased susceptibility to bloody diarrhea and/or pancreatitis following an Addison’s diagnosis. Claro, this may not be applicable to others, and in fact it has not presented as a highly probably issue among the many canine members in CARE, but it is worth bearing in mind.

Denise sends her sincere thanks to the members of CARE, in particular to Merrie. She notes that the Florinef information in CARE’s files does make reference to avoiding fatty foods, something she was not aware of before.

Margarida, Jack Russell Schnauzer Mix, Beaufort, SC, EUA, Diagnosed June of 2014

Daisy is a Jack Russell Schnauzer mix who shares her life with Amanda Hutcheson & her husband Justin. She currently weighs 14.8 lb and is treated with 0.2ml of Percorten every 28 días. Daisy is roughly 8-10 yrs old, she certainly didn’t come with a birth certificate!

Daisy was picked up from an older couple in Texas who was coming to visit family in Beaufort SC where Amanda lives. They listed her in many online “dogs available” groups with no success. Amanda heard of her and immediately took her in, with her hair completely matted and basically looking & smelling very gross. Daisy was shaved down, bathed, and got a clean bill of health from the vet. She had found her forever family!

Two years later, in March 2014, Daisy got run over by a golf cart driven by Amanda. About a month later, Daisy’s mood started to change, her appetite decreased, and she was dehydrated. A visit to the vet for a steroid shot and some IV fluids seemed to perk her up & she was back to her normal self.

Another month went by and the same things happened again, so back she went to the vet. This time they did bloodwork along with the usual steroid shot & IV fluids. The vet’s conclusion was that everything was perfect.

Another month, and now it’s June. Daisy crashed – hind leg weakness, dehydration, no appetite, not drinking, basically doing nothing. The vet who was contacted told Amanda to bring her in the next morning. Amanda slept in the bathtub with Daisy that night & got her to the vet early the next day. Daisy was barely alive. O equipo entrou en acción para salvala e permaneceu na clínica máis dunha semana, loitando por seguir con vida. O veterinario sospeitou que se trataba dun fallo renal, cancro, ou a de Addison. Miles de dólares e aproximadamente unha semana despois, O de Addison confirmouse coa proba de ACTH stim en xuño 23, 2014.

Daisy chegou a casa só pesando 4.3 LB. e foi tratada inicialmente con Florinef. Amanda uniuse a CARE a principios de xullo 2014. Despois do seu diagnóstico, Daisy tiña 3 máis crises addisonianas ao longo do resto de 2014. En decembro de 3, cambiouse a Percorten & daily Prednisone and she has remained stable ever since.

Daisy continues to impress everyone she encounters & loves them all. Florinef is a great option for dogs with Addison’s if their bodies can absorb it & they are on the correct dose. Daisy’s body just couldn’t metabolize it properly.

It’s been an amazing journey over the last two years with everyone that we’ve met in CARE. We are so very thankful that we still have Daisy with us and cannot thank this group enough for the knowledge & understanding everyone has. You all are a blessing and we are glad you all are a part of our lives.

One added note from CARE is that because of her experience with Daisy, Amanda decided to become a vet technician & has only one year left in her studies. Congratulations Amanda, and thank you Daisy.

Lucydog, Can de caza, Diagnosticados de abril 2013

Entendemos que Lucydog parecía ter unha infección da vexiga. Eu a levei ao médico na miña venres fóra. Confirmouse que ela tiña unha UTI e tamén unha infección no oído. Eles tirou sangue, pero esperou para envialo a miña petición, xa que sería outro $200. Eles estaban preocupados que ela non fora comer, pero entender que ela pode ser porque simplemente non se sentir ben.

Ela ten antibióticos e parecía un pouco mellor, pero aínda non estaba comendo. Ela estaba tendo tremores / axitación, pero ela tende a facelo moito cando enfermo ou tensión. Comece a estar preocupado cando nin sequera comer unha medula ósea, aínda. Entón, nós dous estabamos no traballo mércores. Cando cheguei a casa, Entrei deixala fóra do seu canil ir ao baño ... e ela non podía estar de pé. Non se puido aínda obter as súas patas a cooperar para obtelos no chan. Eu me assustei e inmediatamente foi e colleu o teléfono, chamado Will e dixo: "Lucy non pode andar." Entón eu chamei o veterinario, que afortunadamente aínda non pechado (se estivesen en 15 actas) e dixéronme para leva-la o máis rápido posible.
Will chegou na casa unha hora e media máis tarde ou máis, e eles foran capaces de estabilizar a súa. Eles pensaron que podería ser a enfermidade de Addison, que foi sorte tratável. Preséntase en cans mozos, É máis común en mulleres, e tiña moita síntomas en común. Será que aínda pensaba que pode ser só unha deshidratación grave. Despois 2 noites asustado co seu cachorriño no hospital porque aínda non era forte abondo para andar, os resultados das probas de sangue confirmaron a enfermidade de Addison. A infección de UTI e oído empurrou o corpo dela en crise e pode estaba preto da morte (o que se eu fose detido no traballo para 45 minutos máis que días? amd). Agradecidamente, é tratável cunha inxección mensual, que vai ter para o resto da súa vida. Pero que a vida será longa e feliz.

Así, aínda temos un Lucy vida para regular a súa enfermidade. Pero estou feliz de saber que mentres escribo isto, Lucy é alto mastigando un óso de coiro que eu compras ela na súa gaiola ben detrás de min. E que non sexa unha pata rapada, onde tivo un IV e super-frecuente facendo pis por mor dos seus medicamentos de recuperación, ela é moi fermoso de volta para o mesmo ol 'Lucydog. E nós o amamos. Eu son moi grata que o noso veterinario deulle un diagnóstico rápido e correcto, e teño as costas aos seus pés (literalmente) rapidamente.

Únete Se A Nós!

Vostede é novo na enfermidade de Addison? Quere falar? Solicitude para unirse á nosa Grupo en Facebook! Facer preguntas, compartir historias, aprender novas perspectivas, e gañar un equipo de apoio de amigos de todo o mundo. Todos son benvidos.

Participa do noso Goup FaceBook